History Main / TroubledBackstoryFlashback

* Subverted in ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'', where the title character asks the villain Halekulani why he's so obsessed with money. One of these begins as Halekulkani starts to explain his backstory... only for BoBoBo to interrupt it by punching him in the face.

* In ''Anime/WeissKreuz'', Aya Fujimiya's flashback to his younger sister's sixteenth birthday is all bright, cheerful images of the smiling girl having fun at a shrine festival - but then it starts raining on the way home. You can probably guess what happens to his happy, loving family next.

* ''Jason's Lyric'': The main protagonist, Jason, is still haunted by the nightmares of the night his father was shot dead, despite he also remembers the times when his father used to be a [[FamilyMan loving father and husband]] to his mom before turning abusive after coming home from Vietnam War as a veteran. [[spoiler:Later, it is revealed that it was Jason himself, who [[AccidentalMurder accidentally shot him]] when intended to stop his old man from potentially killing him and his family, when the latter came home drunk and attacked them.]]

* In ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest'', Mao [[https://yokokasquest.com/comic/chapter-9-page-14/ has a dream flashback]], which details the events immediately following the prologue. This shows Mao and Yokoka [[BalefulPolymorph turned into cats]], Mao worrying over the unconscious Yokoka, Yokoka's continual disregard for Mao, Mao realizing that he's suffering from IdentityAmnesia, Mao escaping from Betel's Forest, and Mao returning so as not to abandon Yokoka.

* In ''Anime/WeissKreuz'', Aya Fujimiya's flashback to his [[IllGirl younger sister's sixteenth birthday]] is all bright, cheerful images of the smiling girl having fun at a shrine festival - but then it starts raining on the way home. You can probably guess what happens to his happy, loving family next.

* ''WesternAnimation/SongOfTheSea'': While leaving The Great Seanchaí‘s cave, Ben uses his mother’s life hair to see the night of Saoirse’s birth and her disappearance from her perspective. [[spoiler: The truth is that she was running out of time to stay on the surface and had to transform to give birth to Saoirse safely.]]

* ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'' The {{ADayInTheLimelightEpisode}}s for Taissa and Natalie feature one for each.

* [[AntiVillain Prince Zuko]] gets two of these that show his life before he became angry, bitter and obsessed with catching Aang. The first consists of Iroh telling the ship's crew how [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Zuko got his scar and was banished]], and the second comes in the form of Zuko reminiscing about his family when he was a kid... and then his mom mysteriously disappears and his dad becomes Fire Lord. And it kind of went downhill from there.

We aren't being over-dramatic here, these flashbacks run the risk of portraying the hero's pre-tragedy life as more [[TastesLikeDiabetes nauseatingly happy]] than a Creator/NormanRockwell painting [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on distilled]] {{Glurge}}. This may be intentional, since the net effect is the hero's life effectively goes from living in a SugarBowl to a CrapsackWorld.

* ''Jason's Lyric'': The main protagonist, Jason, is still haunted by the nightmares of the night his father was shot dead, despite he also remembers the times when his father used to be a loving father and husband to his mom before turning abusive after coming home from Vietnam War as a veteran. [[spoiler:Later, it is revealed that it was Jason, himself, who [[AccidentalMurder accidentally shot him]] when intended to stop his old man from potentially killing him and his family, when the latter came home drunk and attacked them.]]

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[-[[caption-width-right:330:Picnics, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the fourth deadliest family outing in fiction]].]]-]
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** No, seriously. [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters Everyone]] has ''at least'' one. You will die if you try this.

* [[AntiVillain Prince Zuko]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' gets two of these that show his life before he became angry, bitter and obsessed with catching Aang. The first consists of Iroh telling the ship's crew how [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Zuko got his scar and was banished]], and the second comes in the form of Zuko reminiscing about his family when he was a kid... and then his mom mysteriously disappears and his dad becomes Fire Lord. And it kind of went downhill from there.
** And then of course there are Aang's flashbacks about being revealed as the Avatar early, being pretty much shunned by his friends because of it, and his eventual running away from the Air Temple.
** Don't forget Jet's flashback to seeing his family burned in front of his eyes. And Katara's flashback to her mother's death.

* ''Jason's Lyric'': The main protagonist, Jason, is still haunted by the nightmares of the night his father was shot dead, despite he also remembers the times when his father used to be a loving father and husband to his mom before turning abusive after coming home from Vietnam War as a veteran. [[spoiler:Later, it is revealed that it was Jason, himself, who [[AccidentalMurder accidentally shot him]] when intended to stop his old man from potentially killing him and his family, when the latter come home drunk and attack them.]]

* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' has a set of this showing Michonne's backstory- but her husband and friend gradually transform into walkers over time while supposedly sitting around the kitchen taglr[[/folder]]

* ''Series/MediciMastersOfFlorence'' zig-zags. Cosimo's flashbacks generally show a happier, more innocent time but one still tinged with [[StartOfDarkness serious regret]] as he betrayed several friendships, ruined lives, lost love and never wanted to become the family patriarch anyway.

[[folder:Radio]]
* Parodied OnceAnEpisode in ''Radio/AnotherCaseOfMiltonJones'', with the reasons why his far-more-talented assistant Anton isn't the famous [insert occupation of the week here] instead of Milton. Cue the sad music, Anton's serious voice, and a ridiculous, pun-laden description of his 'tragic' past mistake.
[[/folder]]